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Context:

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism's annual Digital News Report for 2025 reveals a transformation in how Indians consume news.

Key Findings of the Report

Rise of Artificial Intelligence in News Consumption

India Leads in AI Adoption => The report indicates that Indians are among the most active adopters of AI for news. Indian respondents are comfortable using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to summarize, simplify, and personalize news content.

High Comfort Levels => Comfort levels with AI in news stood at 44% among Indian respondents, which is notably high compared to the global average. Nearly one-fifth of Indian users report using AI chatbots for news on a weekly basis.

Function of AI => Consumers use AI to get summaries of complex stories and to have news content personalized to their interests, indicating a demand for more efficient and customized news delivery.

Trust in News => The global trust in news remains steady at 40%, however, the fragmentation of the media and the rise of influencers present both opportunities and challenges for maintaining journalistic standards and public trust.

Misinformation on Messaging Apps => While many respondents globally see messaging apps as less of a threat for misinformation due to their closed-group nature, India is a notable exception.

Given that India is WhatsApp's largest market, the platform has been a vehicle for the spread of fake news and manipulated content, which in the past has led to real-world violence.
The report notes that over 10% of Indian respondents believe people they know personally play a role in spreading misinformation.

Dominance of Social Media Influencers

A Shift to Personality-Led News => The report highlights a global trend, strong in India, where audiences are moving from traditional news organizations to individual news creators and influencers on platforms like YouTube.

Major Indian News Influencers => Several Indian content creators have gathered massive followings by covering social, political, and current affairs.

Dhruv Rathee (25 million followers): Creates educational videos simplifying complex social and political issues.
Ravish Kumar (12 million followers): A former TV anchor who provides political commentary and analysis.

Why the Shift? => This trend is driven by a preference for engaging, personality-driven content that breaks down complex topics in a more accessible format than traditional news outlets.

Preference for Video Content

"Watch" over "Read" => India is one of the key countries where a majority of news consumers now say they prefer to watch the news rather than read it.

YouTube as a Primary News Source => This preference has fueled the growth of YouTube as a major platform for news consumption. For many young people (ages 18-34), social media and YouTube are now their main sources of news, outperforming traditional news websites.

Way Forward

Traditional news organizations must embrace new technologies responsibly. This includes harnessing AI and video platforms to present credible, well-researched journalism in formats that appeal to a digital-first audience.

The convergence of AI and influencer-led journalism indicates democratization of news access, however, it also calls for improved digital literacy and regulatory management to maintain the accuracy and integrity of public discourse.

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Source:

THE HINDU

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. "The rise of influencers as alternative media is a double-edged sword." Critically analyze. 150 words